THE ASSYRIANS IN THE ANFAL OF BAHDINAN OF 1988: A HISTORICAL STUDY

Abstract

Assyrians are one of the most suffering communities in Iraq. Since the formation of modern Iraq, all governments have adopted horrific policies against them, on the one hand. The Anfal campaign was one of the worst policies pursued by Iraqi governments against the Kurdish community, including the Assyrians, on the other hand, because they are part of this region. During this campaign, the most brutal methods and dangerous weapons were used against them. With the beginning of the eighth campaign, which marked the end of the Anfal campaign, Assyrian villages were also destroyed, forcing thousands to migrate to Turkey and Iran, leaving behind everything they owned to save their lives. Some villages were unable to reach the border, and their residents fell into the hands of the Iraqi army. Others were able to cross into Turkey, where they received promises of general amnesty, which ultimately did not include them, which was considered a betrayal. To this day, the fate of many of them remains unknown, and no trace of their remains has been found. The importance of this study lies in its exposure of the policies of the Iraqi government towards the Assyrians since 1921, through the Simele tragedy, and especially after the Ba'athists came to power. This includes the Anfal campaign of 1988, considered the most heinous Iraqi policy towards the Assyrians, and the effects of this campaign on the Assyrians, both psychologically and humanly. On this basis, this study attempts to answer several questions, including: What were the policies of the Iraqi government against the Assyrians? How was the Assyrian minority affected by the Anfal campaign of 1988? What was the nature of the policies practiced by the Iraqi government against them within this campaign? What impact did it have on the Assyrian presence in Iraqi Kurdistan? Did the general amnesty include the Assyrians? This study attempts to answer other questions, relying on various sources, including interviews with the families of Anfal victims.